love. it's what makes a subaru, a subaru. as we wrap it up, i'll let chris start. what is your "end point"? >> sequester is going to happen. what you want to watch going forward -- >> what did you hear today you thought they wouldn't get it done? >> what possibly brought me to that conclusion? i think this gets played out. i don't think the sky will fall hard enough to force congress to act. i think this is zbg to going to week's long story and could roll into the summertime. >> what if you do as the white house if things aren't as bad as you predicted? >> then you're in trouble and try to highlight that without going so far as to crash the economy. >> monsignor, i've been trying

to say that the best way possible. >> i love it. >> what is your "end point"? >> all eyes are on sequestration and also on the church, we're watching pope benedict's final hours. >> who would you pick? >> this is a crapshoot at this point. it's all over the place. >> african, latin america. >> they could go outside europe, we see african or latin american or the real long shot would be an american but i'm not holding my breath on that one or they're just going to circle the wagons and stay european and who knows? >> this is partly why i love watching all that happens. >> so it's fascinating. congresswoman? >> good for marissa at yahoo!. more power to her. >> that's how she's ultimately judged, not the little things, did you make yahoo! work? if you did, then you're a hero. >> did the stock price go up. >> thanks, guys, appreciate it.

"cnn newsroom" with carol costello begins right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com happening now in "the newsroom," whiteout. >> it's been stop and go for some time now because of the constant snow that we have. whoa! >> chicago socked in, the monster storm stretching from the midwest to boston, paralyzing travel. also grounded. >> 733 -- >> reporter: control towers at america's smaller airports in danger of shutting down. >> it's kind of like having a town without a stoplight. >> reporter: all thanks to gridlock in washington. plus backing same-sex marriage, big fortune 500 companies, apple, facebook, ebay, intel, coming out saying the gay marriage ban is bad business. and this -- >> i'm the king of the world! >> it's "titanic ii" an aussie billionaire backing the sequel

set to sail in 2016. >> it will be absolutely the most safe cruise ship in the world. >> same interior, same state room, same everything but would you want to go? you're live in "cnn newsroom." good morning to you. thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. i want to bring you to rome now because we have some amazing pictures to show you, tens of thousands of the faithful filling st. peters square to hear the pope, who officially leaves office tomorrow. he took one final ride in his familiar pope mobile. you'll see it in a second. that's him sitting -- there he is, and he was waving there to the emotional crowd as the pope mobile moved slowly through that sea of people, heavy security flankd the 85-year-old pope but he could still feel the love. people trying, many holding rosaries and signs, all of them

straining to catch one last glimpse of the man who has led the church for nearly eight years. the pope tended to the youngest members of the church, too. some handed them their babies, the pope kissed and blessed them and later the pope bid a final farewell. >> i was deeply grateful for the understanding, support and prayers of so many of you not only in rome but around the world. the decision i have made after much prayers have been in trust of god's will and the deep love of christ's church. >> we have extensive coverage. we begin with senior international correspondent jim bitterman. what was it like to be in the middle of the crowd of people, jim? >> reporter:le with, carol, tens of thousands of people, a lot of them at this the pope's last victory lap around st. peter's square. the fact is it was kind of a

departure what he normally does wednesday afternoon, usually the papal audience is inside this time of year and also usually an audience with a message that's spiritual and interpretational bible passage, something like that. this time it was very personal and basically the pope thanking not only the faithful but also those around him and the curia and the cardinals that have gathered in rome to watch his departure. they're going to have a private lunch with him tomorrow. the pope said, acknowledged the fact that these last eight years have not exactly been easy. he said sometimes there have been moments of joy and light but there have been moments that have not been easy. he said sometimes he felt like st. peter with the apostles and the storm tossed the sea of galilee at but he knew god was always with them and he said as well that loving the church means that sometimes you have to take hard decisions, referring to his own retirement. he said not always a decision one takes for one's self-but rather for the good of the church.

>> jim bitterman reporting live from rome. sister donna quinn represents american nuns. good morning, sister. >> good morning. >> so as you watch -- >> it's nice to be here. >> it's nice to have you here. thank you so much. as you watch the celebrations in rome, what goes through your mind? >> well, i'd like to thank the pope for his work and wish him well. i'd like to also pick up on something he just said, for the good of the church. we women are calling this papal election invalid. it has to be declared fraudulent because it has no women included in the process. by that i mean there are no women on the ballot in the conclave, there are no women voters, there are no fwhim twom

the whole process, so we're very distressed. we know that's not for the good of the church. when pope benedict was first elected, we were tired as women of the gray smoke and then the white smoke, so what we had outside of all the cathedrals across the united states, we had pink smoke rising up. now this time around, we are saying there can be no pink smoke. it has dissipated. what we are calling for is to have women included in the whole process. you know, young women today, they don't respect the church. they don't go to church. they are bright, articulate, intelligent women. they know they are made in the image and likeness of god, and

they hold ceo positions, elected office positions, but they are saying no to gender abuse. >> sister, let me interrupt you. >> and sexual abuse. >> you have a very liberal view there and i'm sure many nuns feel the way do you but not all of them. i want to bring in vatican analyst john allen. i don't know if you heard what the sister said but she's upset because there are no women involved in this process and the selection of a new pope, that's not likely to change, is it? >> reporter: no, i mean i think the simple fact to understand about this conclave is that all 115 cardinals who will be voting were appointed either by john paul ii or benedict xvi and on the big picture issues they are all of one mind. i think it's quite unlikely the next pope is going to ordain women or repeal church teaching on abortion or gay marriage or those kinds of issues. now on the other hand, i would certainly say from my own experience of talking to cardinals the more thoughtful

among them realize the church has a woman's problem. they understand there are a lot of sisters who feel the same way as our guest does and it's not just nuns, lots of women generally feel that way. i think the next pope will face this difficult challenge of trying to reach out to women and assuring them there's a place for them in the church while at the same time drawing a line in the sand on the ordinary nation question. >> when you say that they're going to select the new pope and they're going to think outside the box and they're maybe going to south america or africa to choose the next pope, they're really not thinking outside the box though, are they? maybe they are in picking a pope from another country but as far as -- >> reporter: as far as thinking out of the box the hot on it issues that we talk about, that is the culture wars, they're not going to think outside that box. papal transitions are more about changes in tone and style than they are substance. but on the other hand one awe sulg in rulgd awe've seen in re

experience change. benedict xvi was different from john paul ii in many ways. so if we mean things bigger than issues, if we mean tonality and approach and personality, those kinds of things, i think it's reasonable to think there might be changes on those scores. >> john allen and sister donna, thank you for being with us this morning. we appreciate it. while cardinal roger mahoney is in rome to pick the next pope back in the united states he's accused of protecting pedophile priests. anderson cooper investigates tonight on cnn. back in the united states tensions are rising at the nation's airports, with the government's forced spending cuts due to kick in two days from now airports big and small are bracing for delays and more headaches for air travelers. cnn's tori dunnin explains. >> reporter: sun air flight 2455

d carrying three passengers is headed for nearby dulles airport. >> see you later. >> reporter: a half-hour trip. it's one of up to six commercial flights a day. >> roger runway 2-7, taxi way delta. >> reporter: today there's a controller in the tower but the question is for how long. >> 7-3-3 to joey echo -- >> reporter: virtually every airport faces controller furloughs. scores of small to medium sized airports including hagerstown could be forced to close its towers. phil rydenour is their director. >> we don't have the extra sets of eyes to watch over the airport. >> reporter: this tower stands 71 feet above the runway and gives flight controllers a 360-degree perspective of the sky and also importantly of the ground. >> it's like having a town

without a stoplight. it's a free-for-all. >> reporter: the faa says any changes would not impact safety. even if the tower closes commercial recreational and military flights would still take off and land. pilots would be controlled by a center 60 miles away. for this flight instructor, that poses a problem. >> we'd have to kind of revamp our syllabus to get our students to a location where we can be talking on a tower frequency. >> reporter: some republicans say concerns about the impact of forced spending cuts are exaggerated. >> the sky is falling mentally permeates some of the efforts here in washington, d.c. i think that i hyperbole, i think it's exaggeration and downright on the offensive side of the line. >> reporter: back in hagerstown

businesses worry what will happen march 1st? >> their indecision will have a direct impact on our bottom line in our community to the businesses that serve our community so for us i think it's just continued frustration. >> reporter: frustration at airports across the country. >> cnn's tori dunnin joins us from reagan national in washington, d.c. what does this mean for larger airports like the one you're at right now? >> reporter: so carol what we've heard so far is that the faa is going to give priority to 77 core facilities and they haven't listed what the facilities will be but larger airports. here though travelers are already concerned about what these potential cuts might mean for everyday travel that these boards could eventually be filled up with delays but carol, they're also concerned that the security lines over here could be backed up as well with the potential cuts. >> tory dunnan reporting live from reagan national spending

court. the forced spending cuts are to blame for detainees remaining under cheaper forms of supervision like ankle bracelets and they'll still face deportation hearings sometime in the future. republicans say the move is unnecessary and reckless and the latest political stunt by the administration. so hundreds of illegal immigrants are now free, they're out of jail and small airports may have to close their air traffic control towers, and lawmakers are talking trashy. republican house leader john boehner urged the senate to get off his ass and pass budget saving legislation. here's boehner on cbs. >> you said that the president didn't have the guts to do what needed to be done on the budget. today you said the senate has to get off its ass. those don't sound like the words of a man seeking to bring people together to compromise. >> now listen, i've had a very nice conversation with the president last week. i had a very nice conversation

with harry reid, senator reid, the majority leader the week before. our members want us to have cuts and reforms that put us on a path to balance the budget over the next ten years. that's what we want. and that's a tall order. >> okay, so where do things stand in boehner is not meeting with democratic leaders or the president and the senate, it's about to begin debate under proposal to avert spending cuts but that's expected to go exactly nowhere. chief national correspondent john king is here, hi, john. >> carol -- >> i was going to say maybe dennis rodman should have gone to capitol hill instead of north korea. >> i know dennis rodman because i'm a basketball fan and washington is broken, i'm not sure it's quite ready for dennis rodman yet but you just heard speaker boehner that's important because he's not only talking about his broad principles but listen to what he said, in the past crises, we're having a conversation wednesday morning. in the past, six months ago, six

months before that, because we keep having these if it's a friday deadline it's around wednesday morning you start to know now they're going to finally cutting the deal and having the meetings. he spoke to the president last week and the democratic leader of the senate the week before that. they're not even any conversations, carol, right now so the cuts look both sides the president's out there saying give me a deal, the republicans are saying there's a way to avoid this. when you talk to them privately both sides most of them want this to happen and it looks like it will. >> it's so frustrating. okay, so if there's no way to avoid these cuts, is there any way to avoid across-the-board indiscriminate cuts? >> that's what the debate will be in the next 24 hours. republicans are saying hey mr. president we'll pass legislation that gives you the flexibility that allows to you call the faa and say maybe close that tiny tower in hagarstown but make sure international airports, all the major airports in new york,

chicago, dallas but cut back in the bureaucracy in washington, d.c. the president doesn't have that power. the republicans are willing to give it to him but the democrats say no they think that's a copout on the republican part they don't want to have the bigger conversations. the democrats want more tax increases and other things. the republicans want to look down to the road to a ten-year balanced budget plan in the short term looking in the next 48 hours for people to say here mr. president we're willing to give you flexibility. the white house says no way. the president would own this and republicans would be excused from the debate until the next crisis. >> the debate is about something more, about something bigger than just the $85 billion worth of cuts? >> and that's why this is most likely going to happen on friday into the weekend and then for probably a couple of weeks. remember, carol, there's yet another because of the dysfunction it has been 16 years since washington passed a budget according to the rules it has for passing budgets, 16 years. that's where the dysfunction began but it's reached a new low under this president and this republican congress. they don't have a budget and the

government runs out of money the end of march. most people want to roll the forced budget cut debate into the next debate they have to have over funding the government so that's why the president wants tax increases right now to stop the sequester or the forced cuts friday. republicans say no way. they know in a larger negotiation they probably will have to discuss that anyway and if they're going to give on taxes again, they just gave six or seven weeks ago. if the republicans will give on taxes again they want to make sure they're getting social security and medicare cuts from the democrats including the president and they want the president to get up front on that. this is $85 billion over seven months and a friday deadline. sadly, carol, it's been about that something much bigger for two or three years. this is groundhog day between this president and the republicans in congress. >> john king reporting live from washington, thank you. >> thank you. banning same-sex marriage is bad for business, at least that's what more than 60 major u.s. companies are saying today and they're taking their argument to the u.s. supreme court.

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20 minutes past the hour. time to look at top stories after a bitter confirmation chuck hagel has been sworn in as u.s. defense secretary. the ceremony took place less than 30 minutes ago at the pentagon in alexandria, virginia. hagel expected to make remarks later this hour. police released photos wanted for questioning, they say 22-year-old tanesha howard was inside a black suv when shots were fired.

her mother says the suspected shooter is the young woman's boyfriend. the star of an iconic anti-smoking ad has died. >> they say nicotine isn't addictive. how can they say that? >> debi austin became famous to are this commercial warning others about the dangers of cigarette smoking. she died friday after a long bat well cancer. the college admissions test known as the s.a.t. is getting a makeover. the college board says the new test will focus more on knowledge and skills high schoolers need to succeed in college. no word on when students will begin taking the new test. talk back today, is it right for dennis rodman to be in north korea? facebook.com/carolcnn or tweet me @carolcnn.

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now is your chance to talk back on the questions of the day, is it right for dennis rodman to be in north korea? kim jong-un is not just a cruel dictator with american annihilation on his mind, taunting washington with nuclear tests and long-range missiles, known for starving his own citizens. he also loves the round ball so instead of official diplomacy kim jong-un is hot on dennis rodman and the harlem globetrotters. >> we got invited and we come over and have some fun and hopefully you know, it will be some fun. >> rodman and the group are in north korea for a week as goodwill ambassadors. seriously? rodman, the man who wore a wedding dress to his own book signing? >> you could say that exposing north korea to americans gets them away from this relentless propaganda of the evil american imperialists and shows them americans are normal human beings, it's hard to see dennis

rodman is exactly a normal human being. >> it's true i'm in north korea looking forward to sitting down with kim jong-un, worm in north korea. wouldn't it be something from the threat of nuclear annihilation was averted by dennis rodman and the harlem globetrotters? >> now that would be weird, but all jokes aside, is this really helpful at a time of heightened tensions between the united states and north korea? north korean scholar v.r. myers told "the washington post" goodwill tourists like rodman actually accomplish nothing in furthering the cause of peace because they meet with the usually hardliners, not everyday north koreans. to his critics rohhedman tweeted hey, it's just basketball. i'm not a politician. kim jong-un and north korean people are basketball fans. i love everyone, period, end of story. talk back question this morning, is it right for dennis rodman to be in north korea?

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good morning. thank you so much for being with me. i'm carol costello at 30 minutes past the hour. the stories we're watching right now in "the newsroom" it is opening bell at the new york stockexchange. the stock market might see stability today. ringing the bell wall street rocks charity group. today a slow steady recovery is under way from texas to illinois, a wicked combination of strong winds and up to 20 inches of snow knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses. in many areas work crews scrambling to restore power had to be accompanied by snowplows. for millions of people those impassable roads left them strand the at home or work.

air travel also ground to a halt in much of the nation's mid section in chicago alone more than 1,000 flights were canceled yesterday, hundreds more likely today. a sinking boat off monterey, california, may have been a hoax. the coast guard called off its search for people at a distressed call said they were on the boat. we'll have a live report in the next hour. to a story from the nfl combine rippling beyond the sports world. it seems scouts want to know more than just a player's time and the 40-yard dash. prospect nick kash teams asked some very personal questions. >> they ask you like do you have a girlfriend, are you married, do you like girls, those kinds of things and it was just kind of weird but you know, they would ask you with a straight face. it's pretty weird experience all together.

>> do you like girls? that's what they asked him. could the nfl be prying into a player's sexual preference? mike florio of profootballtalk.com brought up the case of manti te'o. florio on dan patrick's radio show. >> here is the elephant in the room for the teams and it shouldn't matter but we have to step aside from the rest of reality and walk into the unique industry that is the nfl. teams want to know whether or not manti te'o is gay. they just want to know. they want to know because in an nfl locker room, it's a different world. it shouldn't be that way let's cory wire is a former atlanta falcon and buffalo bill. >> hi, how are you? this is a good one. >> unbelievable. they were asking you questions when you went through, did they ask you if you liked girls? >> i don't remember that specific question but i remember they were prying because these

are teams and organizations who are feetibly investor hundreds of thousands if not millions into a player. they want to know you who are, what you've been through and what you're all about. >> did they try to find out if you were guy? >> i don't remember that, i think i certainly would have remembered it. here's the thing, that's illegal i think. article seven of the civil rights act of 1964, you're not allowed to ask questions or discriminate based on race, religion, sex, so this is a fascinating topic and i think we're going to hear a lot more about it especially with obama is doing to fight for equality. >> even the nfl, chris clouwe fighting for brights. >> brendan ay -- >> it's a tough one, brendan ayenbadego, players are fighting for equality. this is just another form of

discrimination. i think that it's fascinating, there's never been a current nfl player who has come out and said you know what? i'm gay. they've never done it. all four major sports there's never been a current gay player. they waited until after their career to come out. that's fascinating to me. i think it's going to take, i think this will change. this is a time of evolution right now but i think it will take a differencemaker, a rosa parks or a jackie robinson to say here is who i am, i'll stand up for what is right and once that ice is broken i think we start to see change. >> the other hypocrisy in all of this, the nfl penalized a player, you know, during the super bowl, right, because he said some anti-gay remarks so the nfl is trying to promote this we don't do that, we want to pave the way for maybe gay players and during the combine, teams ask players if they like girls? >> right, so there's that dichotomy there, doesn't make sense. >> what should we believe?

there has to be a reason they're asking players that. i know it's an investment and all that, there are other reasons, they don't want gay players on their team and don't want to deal with that? >> they don't want any ruffled fete feathers, i hate to use this word, but they don't want cancers in the locker room, things that eat up the team and chemistry within a group of men. if there is a gay player there is mocking, scorning, scoffing, not good vibes because it's not readily accepted. that's why there's never been a current gay player. they know to stay hush and keep quiet because of what will happen. they would probably have been cut because too many feathers would have been ruffled. you can't have a team focused on a goal, right, on a mission, and having dissension amongst the troops and that topic right there is a touchy one because it's a machismo environment. these guys are taught to be men. >> i totally get it. i just don't like the appearance of hypocrisy, like if you have a

problem with it, come out and say it but don't make people believe that oh we're trying to make things better and more comfortable if indeed we ever have a gay player on one of our nfl teams. >> there's no question that magnifying glass will be pulled out on this topic and on all the players involved including the nfl, the teams, the players but i think we have to note there are players like you mentioned who have come out and are supporting this cause and this push for equality in regards to this topic in the nfl. >> thank you so much for talking to us. >> thanks for having me. banning same-sex marriage bad for biz, that's what more than 60 major companies are saying and they're taking their argument to the supreme court. transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles. or the 900 million health insurance claims we process.

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political buzz is your rapid fire look at the best political

topics of the day, three topics, 30 seconds on the clock. playing with us roland martin, and john avlon, senior political columnist for "newsweek" and "the daily beast." welcome. >> glad to be here. >> hey carol. >> you're lucky because we have breaking news courtesy of our congressional correspondent dana bash, i'm going to read it to you right now and ask your take on it. according to a senior gop aide, a republican aide, congressional leaders have been invited to the white house on friday, the very day forced spending cuts are scheduled to take effect. we have dana bash on the phone right now so before you guys comment, let's get more from dana bash who broke this story. so these congressional leaders are going to the white house on friday, should we jump for joy and say oh my gosh that means negotiations are under way? >> reporter: i would not bring out the confetti quite yet, no. this is something that let's be

honest if the president didn't invite congressional leaders to talk to them on the day the cuts go in, we would be screaming from the rooftops, washington is even more messed up than we thought. having said that when you have members of congress the leaders in both parties in the room with the president, it would be hard to imagine that they don't at least have some discussion and maybe not necessarily about what to do about these forced spending cuts but how you deal with the bigger picture of what will happen three weeks later which is the government's going to run out of money. most forces on capitol hill think it's all going to be incorporated together. it's no question it's a good thing they will be together. as we're getting this information the senate republican leader mitch mcconnell released a statement saying he's looking forward to

visiting with the president but said one things american will not accept is another tax increase to replace spending reductions, we already agreed to. so they still have a fundamental philosophical divide that is keeping these spending cuts in place right now, democrats want it to be tax increases and spending cuts and republicans are saying no, they want it just to be a series of spending cuts, nothing to do with tax increases. >> dana bash thank you so much. the question i will pose to our two wonderful, fabulous analysts today, once that meeting takes place tomorrow and the congressional leaders head into the white house and they meet with the president, what do you think they'll say to each other, roland martin? >> the problem is they're meeting on friday. that's the day the cuts take place. why can't it be tomorrow? in fact why cannot tea be this evening? this is what i don't quite understand why would you meet on the day the cuts are supposed to take place? we tell all of our children, i have six nieces my wife and i

are raising we tell them you don't do your homework at the absolute last second and then somehow think you're going to actually get it done. this is what congress is doing. this is the problem that i say we continue to have a lack of adult leadership across the board because they can't solve problems before the crisis kicks in. >> john? >> it shows how addicted they are to the game of chicken, carol. we'll meet once we go over the cliff because then the sense of urgency will be real. it's ridiculous they're not doing that meeting today. we are two days away here and at the end of the day we need more leadership, we need them to be negotiating and there's an absence of negotiation. it's great they're getting together to talk about how to deal with the sequestration deadline but the fact they're doing it after the cuts begin shows how desperate they are to get that pressure, to actually start making a deal, the absence of leadership is stunning. >> it's mind-boggling isn't it?

so we'll move on now. up next, chris christie, let's talk about chris christie, the new jersey governor is wildly popular but not with some of his fellow republicans. christie not invited to this year's cpac conference. the group reportedly says christie has a limited future in the republican party thanks to his stance on guns. and remember this? christie's embrace of president obama after superstorm sandy? that sparked outrage but commentator charles krauthammer says it's a mistake to dismiss the politician for cozying up to the president even though he called the event more than a lap dance rather than an embrace. >> awkward. >> awkward and the visual is just not good. the question though, should republicans all republicans even conservative republicans embrace chris christie? john? >> yes. the guy's got a 74% approval rating in a state where independents outnumber democrats and republicans. the entire gop should be going

to new jersey to figure out what chris christie's doing right rather than trying to exclude him from the "star wars" bar conference. chris christie is one of the few examples the republican party has in terms of leadership that works in fiscal responsibility and reaching across the aisle, he is an example of what they should become more like, not what they should be distancing themselves from. >> cpac has a right to invite anybody they want to and who they choose not to invite. if you're govern chris christie i wouldn't be sweating this. last i checked this is 2013. the 2016 presidential campaign is three years off. if he is deciding to run for president frankly can he speak to any group later at the end of the day, trust me, groups like this are not going to be the decider. he has the ability to put together a national campaign, put together a staff, put together his issues and his strategies and so if i'm him i'm not losing any sleep because some group chose not to invite me. >> i don't think chris christie

loses sleep every much. roland martin and john avlon thanks for playing today. >> talk back question, is it right for dennis rodman to be in north korea? your responses coming up next. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®. xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes.

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their support and said he'll stay in the service of prayer. a senate panel drops its investigation into the movie "zero dark thirty" after talking to the cia. the film chronicles the hunt for osama bin laden. the senate intelligence committee was worried cia information might have misled filmmakers. some lawmakers said the film glorified torture but the investigation is over. an australian billionaire unveiled plans for a full scale replica of the "titanic" called "titanic ii" set to sail in 2016. the cruise line says passenger also wear 1912 style clothing and notes there will be enough life boats for everyone, thank goodness, huh? dozens of u.s. companies including facebook, nike, ebay and morgan stanley are asking the u.s. supreme court to strike down california's ban on same-sex marriage and in a report from "fortune" they're arguing the report is bad for

news. christine romans is in new york to explain more. >> good morning, a prerogative position for corporate america and a lot of companies, some 60 have signed on to the amicus brief and it's expected by this time tomorrow there will be far more. look at the companies and let me tell you what this is. dozens of corporations, apple, alcoa, facebook, intel, morgan stanley will submit this amicus brief broadly arguing to the supreme court that laws banning same-sex marriage are undue. fortune got a draft of this brief. it's so interesting. it argued that, iowa, it's not fair or legal to have two separate classes of married citizens in america but it's not good for their business. if you are a company, do you want to lose good talent because they don't want to live in california, for example over new

york, massachusetts, and iowa where the laws are different regarding same-sex marriage. so this is something where you're seeing a ground swell of support from some big well known american companies are who are going to be banding together to file this with the supreme court, recognizing the right of same-sex couples to marry is more than a constitutional issue. it's a business imperative. also in the same vein, another report found some disparities with how same-sex couples and their children receive social security benefits. same-sex couples have been denied social security benefits. there's no monthly bern f lly b spouse dies. they're denied monthly benefits if the parent dies and that's something that many groups including the group that issued this is very concerned about. you're seeing the finances of same-sex marriage in news this

week, carol. >> interesting. christine romans, thanks so much. this guy, he may be the most polarizing soccer player ever. now he may have done something to tick people off even more. whoa! nobody insures more bikes than progressive. do you guys ride? well... no. sometimes, yeah. yes. well, if you know anybody else who also rides, send them here -- we got great coverage.

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talkback question for you today. is it right for dennis rodman -- what am i doing -- is it right for dennis rodman to be in north korea. this from marvin. it's okay for him to be there as a basketball player, not as an ambassador. why not give it a try with the north korean people.

this from paul. it is fine for him to be in north korea as lodge as he stays there. and then from michael. any interaction is good and sports is a nonpolitical entity. who cannot appreciate the globetrotters. keep the conversation going facebook.com/carolcn or tweet me @carolcnn. ind the scenes to provide companies with services... like helping hr departments manage benefits and pensions for over 11 million employees. reducing document costs by up to 30%... and processing $421 billion dollars in accounts payables each year. helping thousands of companies simplify how work gets done. how's that for an encore? with xerox, you're ready for real business. capella university understands back from rough economic times. employees are being forced to do more with less. and the need for capable leaders is greater than ever.

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spilled over into the crowded indiana. joe carter has it all on this morning's bleacher report. >> hey, good morning, carol. obviously nba commissioner david stern hates whelp his players fight during the game. it's embarrassing for the league, especially when it involved the league. it now has basically a zero tolerance for it. they get involved trying to stick up for a teammate. gets tossed aside two different times. the fans who pay top dollar to sit courtside are put right in the middle of all this. when all was said and done, six technicals. roy hibbert removed from the game. he should expect a one-game extension. mario, this guy's been called an ego maniac for years. his latest stunt, far from humble. he's hired an artist to make a statue of himself. that statue is going to look

like that pose. it will be platinum and bronze and eyes made of special stones. guess where he's going put that statue? smack in the middle of his power. jimmie johnson, he's very happy. he's making talk show rounds, he was on letterman last night. during his moment, his time to shine, of course, guess whose name came up. >> this, if you were racing this, then you'd have something, by god. >> i'd have a hard time turning that one. >> what was it like with your buddy danica patrick? >> she was in the race? i didn't hear about that. really? >> there you go. good luck. >> oh, somebody's slightly bitter. slightly bitter. all right. peewee coach martin tremblay, he's been sentenced to 13 days in jail for tripping a 13-year-old hockey player. the 13-year-old falls, breaks his wrist and takes out a 10-year-old in the process.

this video went viral last fall. the 48-year-old coach pleaded glet to assault back in november. for all of your entertaining sports newses including the unranked minnesota beating this team. what do you think, 15 days in jail too stiff for tripping a kid during a postgame handshake? >> no. think he deserves more. that's insane. joe carter, thank you. next hour of "cnn newsroom" starts right now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com happening now in the newsroom, lost at sea. hours and hours and tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars spent searching for a family after this distress call. >> coast guard, coast guard, we are abandoning the ship. >> now new clues that have investigators believing this was all a hoax. plus, for the first time we're hearing from victims injured during the big crash at a nascar race at daytona. >> it was so loud.

it was probably the biggest boom. like you could hear the tire flying and you could hear the parts hitting everywhere. >> some have hired an attorney ta take on nascar. we'll talk to that attorney live and see what the victims want. a manson follower convicted of murder could soon walk out of prison a free man, and the reason behind his parole would make history. and interested in a vacation? this morning a new endeavor that allows you to hitch a ride to mars. you're live in the "cnn newsroom." and good morning. thank you so much for joining me this morning. i'm carol costello. some amazing pictures to show you from the vatican. tens of thousands of the faithful filled st. peters square all to hear the pope one more time before he leaves the papacy tomorrow. he took his final ride in that familiar popemobile.

you can see the pope waving to an emotional crowd as it slowly moved through a sea of people. heavy security flanked the 85-year-old man but he could feel the love. many cryinging, many holding razries, all of them straining to catch one lapse glimpse of the man who's led the church for the last eight years. he tended to the youngest members of the church, kissing and handling babies handed to him through the window. and in a switch it was the pope asking for prayers. >> i continue to ask the church for prayers and ask you to pray for me and for the new pope. >> senior international correspondent ben wedeman is in roam. good morning, ben. the pope's final days has drawn huge crowds. it was just an amazing sight. >> reporter: yes, it did. yes. in fact, more than 150,000 people were there, according to the vatican. really filling st. peters square

tuukka passty and certainly very emotional scenes. there were people from all over the world attending the last general audience by pope benedict. i spoke with people from the united states, from germany, africa, catholics and noncatholics coming for this truly historic occasion. we also got a hint from pope benedict how he sees his life when he steps down tomorrow evening at 8:00 p.m. he said that he's not going to return to a private life. now, we'd understood that he would dedicate himself in his retirement to prayer and cont n contemplati contemplation, but when he says he's not going back to a private life, that would hint that he's going to have some sort of public role when his successor takes his place. >> and, ben, what can we expect

tomorrow? that will really be an emotional day for catholics around the world. >> reporter: well, tomorrow he'll be addressing the cardinals and saying his good-byes to all those who worked closely with him, not only just over the last eight years but really he's been in the vatican since 1981. so he's got a lot of people he needs to say good-bye to. now, at 5:00 in the evening he will take a helicopter from the vatican city to castel gandolfo, which is the summer residence of the pope about 15 miles south of rome. there from the windows of the papal residence he will one last time appear in public to greet the people who have come to see him off there, and at 8:00 p.m. officially he will no longer be the pope. >> ben wedeman reporting live from rome. thanks so much. also a note for you tonight.

8:00 eastern anderson cooper will have more on it. he'll take a closer look at cardinal roger. he's accused of pedophile of other priests in the united states. anderson cooper investigates tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. cnn has learned the president has invited republican congressional leaders to the white house on friday just hours before the four spending cuts are due to kick in. it's worth noting some gop lawmakers are dismissing it as they think it's more about show. there are real life consequences for people looming all across the country. every day this week we're looking past the politics and focusing on how these four spending cuts will impact everyday americans. today we're focusing on contractors losing government business. mark masters is a former firefighter who now runs a firm

that combats wildfires. he joins us live. good morning, mark. >> good morning, carol. thanks for having me here. >> we're glad to have you here. you say 90% of your contracts come from government. if the spending cuts go in effect on friday, it's definitely going to impact you. >> it's definitely going affect us. one thing is that a lot of our businesses were emergency response services, however for those services we have that are not necessarily emergency response, they're more preparedness and preparation-oriented. i'm sure we're going see cuts on those services. >> like what might it mean for you? will it mean you have to lay off workers? will it mean you'll use dollars? describe to us the impact. >> it could certainly impact the revenue and impact the opportunity for individuals to have employment. you know, for us on the emergency response side, like we

said, we're pretty insulated because the federal government has an obligation to response to an emergency incident. on the preparedness side, however, the budget dollars are much more discretionary. we've already seen major cuts on those, on the preparedness side of things. >> so when you hear the president has invited congressional leaders to the white house on friday, the very day these spending cuts are supposed to go into effect, what goes through your mind? >> i'm hopeful that a deal can be reached. if the sequestration bill takes effect, there's going to be real-life consequences for us. folks who rely on federal contracting for our businesses. >> it's interesting that both parties talk glowingly of small businesses and small business owners and we don't want to hurt them because they're the fuel that runs the middle class. so when you see this sort of stuff going down, does it make you feel special? >> well, i don't know if special's the word, carol. we just hope that, you know,

congress can get their act together and hopefully avoid the sequestration issue on friday. >> i think i meant that facetiously. you would think if the government really cared about small business, they would get their own house in order so you don't have to worry about these things. >> absolutely. >> mark masters, thank you so much for being with us this morning. >> thanks, carol. we're following a couple of other events unfolding on capitol hill this morning. later today, later this morning senator dianne feinstein holds a hearing on her proposal to ban assault rifles. the testimony could get emotional. among those set to speak to lawmakers, the father of a sandy hook elementary school victim. now feinstein's bill faces several obstacles in the senate and house lawmakers are just about to vote on their own version. also later this hour chuck hagel is due to make his first public remarks as the new defense secretary. earlier this morning he was sworn in during a private

swearing-in ceremony. he blasted his position on some foreign policy but eventually he was confirmed. hundreds of thousands could have been wasted. we're talking about a coast guard call. they spent day looking for a family of missing boerts off monterey, california, but the story wasn't holding up. good morning. >> reporter: yeah. good morning, carol. the coast guard is not officially prepared to call this a hoax but they say it's a real possibility. if it was, you're talking about a whole bunch of money gone right down the drain. they sent out numerous boats and aircraft to rescue four people, including two children allegedly on a sinking boat. this was the last radio transmission from the vessel operator.

>> coast guard, coast guard, we are abandoning ship. this is the charm blow. we are abandoningship. >> reporter: it cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands just to prank. the coast guard said it's a possibility. first the name of the boat. charm blow. the coast gand commander is responsible for the search. >> we went through databases, databases of local law enforcement agencies to search for the vessel and try to identify it. >> what did you find? >> unfortunately we haven't found anything at this point. >> reporter: what about a missing persons report. >> we haven't received in notification of any missing persons. >> is that unusual? >> i haven't experience thad before. >> reporter: this isn't the first time the coast guard has turned up empty in a search for boaters.

a few weeks later, a caller claimed there were three people dead and 20 people in the water off sandy hook, new jersey. >> we have 21 souls on board 20rks , 20 in the water right now. i have three deceased on board. nine injured because of the explosion we had. >> reporter: it was later determined the call came from land and was a hoax. as for the call from california, based upon what he's saying over the radio, you thought that was real. >> absolutely. and we treated it as such. we treat every call as if it was our own child out there and we're searching for them. >> reporter: so making a false distress call is considered a felony. it's punishable by up to ten years in prison, $250,000 fine plus the cost of that wasted search effort. carol?

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try capzasin-hp. it penetrates deep to block pain signals for hours of relief. capzasin-hp. take the pain out of arthritis. time to check our top stories. police released photos for a woman wanted in connection with a deadly shooting and fiery crash. they say the 22-year-old was inside a black suv when shots were fired. her mother tells cnn the suspected shooter the young woman's boyfriend. harris is still at large. millions are getting hit by winter weather. in chicago alone, more than 1,000 flights were canceled yesterday, and hundreds more will be canceled. that's pretty likely today. salvage crews have started removing parts of a former u.s.

navy ship that ran aground in a reef in the philippines. a smoke stack was lifted by a crane. major milestone for the photosharing sight instagram. the company says it now has 100 million monthly active users. instagram made the announcement in a blog post on tuesday. fan safety at the center of a potential lawsuit by three victims at a crash. debris from a crash went over -- actually went through and over a fence. civil attorney matt morgan is representing three people who were injured in that mishap. he's attempting to reach some kind of settlement with nascar. welcome. >> thank you, carol. >> well, first of all, your three clients. i just want you to take us through what that felt like as they were sitting in the stands

that day. >> well, ultimately it was devastateling for them. two of our clients were actually right up on the fence when this car came into the stands. one of our other clients was sitting up in the stands, and a piece of debris actually hit and palestinian tered her fibula and split her achilles tendon. for them it was a truly traumatic experience. >> did they realize the risk because they were sitting very close to the action. >> well, carol, you've raised a good point and a lot of people have been talking about that. but ultimately no fan sitting in the stands assume that a race car is going to come flying into the fans. i'm a nascar fan. i've been to many, many in my life. never when sitting in the stans have i considered it foreseeable for a car to come flying into the stands. that's something that the entities responsible have to see for their fans.

>> we'll accept the back of the ticket. there's a warning. we're going to show folks the warning right now. let's look at the ticket. it's a waiver on the back of the sporting event tickets warning about possible injury to fans. it says, quote, the holder of this ticket expressly assumes all risk incident to the event. if you go to the baseball game and get hit by a foul ball, you don't sue because on the bath of a baseball ticket it says the same thing. if you sit in the stands, you assume risk and you really can't sue. so what exactly are you asking for. >> well, carol, that's called an adhesion term. either the judge is going to enforce that contract or declare it unenforceable. there'll be arguments to both sides. as you reported earlier, we're going to attempt to resolve this before it gets to a judge. >> you are just asking for medical bills?

i mean isn't nascar paying for injuries? i mean what's happening there? >> not to my knowledge. what happens is they're going have to go through numerous procedures to have their injuries repaired and then ultimately they're going have medical bys they're going to be responsible for as a result of this. they're going to be going through a long and extensive rah rehabilitation process. that's expensive. what we're going to ask nascar to compensate them for is for the medical bills and the pain and suffering as a result of getting hit by debris and causing significant and serious injury. >> we reached out to nascar. they have no comment at this time because no lawsuit has been filed. have you spoken with nascar yet? >> we have not. not at this point. we're going the reach out to them. our goal is to assess our clients' injuries and assess the liability on the case. after we come to a daerlgs, we're going approach nascar and the responsible entities and like i said come to some kind of

amicable resolution of this. >> matt morgan, attorney, thanks so much for being with us this morning. >> thank you, carol. i appreciate it. talkback question this hour. should the republicans embrace chris christie? facebook.com/carol.cnn or tweet me @carolcnn. ♪ ameriprise advisors can help keep your dreams alive like they helped millions of others. by listening. planning. working one on one. that's what ameriprise financial does. and that's what they can do with you. that's how ameriprise puts more within reach. ♪

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should republicans embrace chris christie. mitt romney is going, so is sarah palin and jeb bush. but chris christie the popular new jersey governor was not invited to the high-profile conservative political action conference. perhaps it was that image of christie embracing obama after the election. some cannot for forgive him. others say he's got presidential timber. don't punish him over a momentary obama lapse i would call it unfortunate, although i think he could explain the incident, the sandy embrace. i thought it was more than an embrace. it was kind of a lap dance, although i'm not sure i like the

image. >> i'm not sure i do either. he told christie he was not invited because he criticize d sandy. that tough talk is what they like. >> it's time for washington to get its act together that. will take two things, bipartisanship and leadership and unfortunately both seen missing in washington today. >> and with a whopping 73% approval rating his take-no-prisoner style is not likely to change any time soon. the talkback question is should the gop embrace chris christie? one of charles manson's followers is up for parole. he's convicted as a murderer but he could be free in call of days. that story coming your way next. ♪

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good morning. i'm carol costello. thank you so much for being with me. it's about 30 minutes past the hour. let's check our top stories. they say an employee killed two people before turning the gun on himself. seven other people were injured, four of them critically. the shooter's motive unknown. a great white shark haski killed a surfer off the coast of new zealand. police officers in boats actually opened fire on the great white as it chewed on the body of its victim. witnesses at the scene say it was a horrible scene. a senate panel dropped its investigation into the movie "zero dark thirty" after talking to the cia. the senate intelligence committee was worried it might have misled filmmakers. >> any moment now chuck hagel is

due to make his first public remarks as the brand-new defense secretary. earlier this morning hagel was sworn in during a private secretary. it comes after a bruising fight over his nomination. many blasted some of his previous statements and positions on foreign policy. when mr. hagel begins speaking, we'll dip in for you. at any time in the next five days we could find out if a convicted killer and manson follower could be freed on parole. he could be freed solely on good behavior. cnn's kim lau is following the story. good morning. >> any time you hear the name manson, it sends chills down people's spines. the governor has a difficult decision on his desk wlrks one of manson's closest followers deserves to be freed. the face of evil, charles manson, who unleashed tar rohr

in a murder spree in 1969. the face you don't know, bruce davis 40 years ago, eerily similar in looks to manson and once a follower. barbara hoyt knows that because she was 17 when she joined the so-called manson family in 1979. that's when she met davis. >> these people wanted to start a race war. they wanted to end society as we knew it. they wanted millions to die. >> he wanted to trigger a population war that he triggered himself. he dubbed it helter-skelter. manson's plan was to leave behind misleading clues in a series of murders, evidence that would indicate black assail lands in the killings of whites. davis was one of the manson followers implicated in a murder at this home that started it all. musician gary hinman. in man son's trial this model

was shown how he was treated. brutally tortured. sliced at the ear. the words political piggy in blood and this, a bloody print and an unsuccessful attempt to show the police the black panthers were behind it. then two others that took the lives of pregnant actress sharon tate and six others. davis was not part of those but was at the hangout and helped murder and mute late a stuntsman. barbara said she heard him scream. a man who could do that should never walk free. >> no. i'm not wrong. i know what he's capable of. i heard the screams. i know exactly what he's capable of. >> bruce davis would be a poster child for rehabilitation, i really believe that. >> michael beckman is davis's attorney. 40 years in prison has changed

davis, says beckman. davis earned a doctorate in the philosophy of religion. >> i'm sorry about my ever become involved with manson and ever having his influence in my life. >> his attorney says 70-year-old davis has paid the price for his proximity to a criminal monster. >> yeah, i think he'd be home by knew. he almost walked free but governor schwarzenegger rejected the parole board's decision. now, we are expecting to hear from the governor. i did speak to the governor's office. he should have a decision, carol, before the close of business on friday. >> but seriously how likely is it that he will be freed because not many of man son's followers have gotten out on parole. >> he would be the very first to be released solely on good behavior. it's very difficult to tell

whether or not the governor are grant this. his attorney says he deserves this. he should based on the criminal record, but when you consider the name manson being connected to bruce davis, it's very difficult to know what the governor is going to do here. >> you know, i read the book "helter-skelt "helter-skelter," and it remains with me to this day even though i read it decades ago. >> it's terrible. chuck hagel, our new defense secretary set to speak -- we're believing he's set to speak with his preliminary remarks as new secretary of defense any moment now when he does begin speaking. we'll take you back to capitol hill. also coming up it's the dreaded test most high school grads take to get into college. now the s.a.t.s are getting revamped. we'll tell you about the big changes. yeah. ♪ dad: you'll be fine, ok?

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the college admissions test known as the s.a.t. is getting a makeover. the college board says the new test will focus more on knowledge and skills high schoolers need to succeed in college. no word on when students will begin taking the brand-new test. >> and it's a move that's sparking controversy in and outside of silicon valley. tech giant yahoo! banning employees from working at home. okay. i'm going to interrupt that story for just a second. chuck hagel speaking, america's new defense secretary. >> thank you. i am honored to -- [ inaudible ] >> all right. well, actually they're having audio problems on their end, not on our end, so when we get this all worked o wut them, we'll go

back to chuck hagel as he makes his remarks as america's new defense secretary. -- okay. we're going back to the yahoo! piece now. as you noah hoo executives said in order for the company to be the best it can be, workers must no longer telecommute. they must come into the office physically. critics say a workplace needs credibility. we have more for you. >> reporter: you might say she pulled a marissa mayer last last year. >> i was able to get a job when i was seven months' preg aunt and even after i gave birth. >> reporter: but she wants to put an end to the flexible work policy and make everyone come to the office. >> i don't know exactly what she's thinking and i'm sure

she's got the best interest of the company and her employees in mind, but in my experience having that flexibility is helpful and you're able to continue to contribute and be productive. >> reporter: the online backlash against yahoo! has been less polite and decidelely one-sided on twitter. the consensus, marissa mayer has it all wrong. >> i think it's incredibly disappointed and backward-thinking and they're shooting themselves in the foot as they limp themselves into the future. >> reporter: yahoo!'s ban will put them in the minority. while 95% work at home, 98% offer at least one type of telework option. it led to increased work productivity, higher attention rates and better overall job performance. >> i once worked with a guy who played solitaire four hours day

in my newsroom. it doesn't matter where they're working. it's how they're working. >> it's more allowing the flexibility to continue and not disrupt my work or disrupt my life. >> okay. in a statement yahoo! says we don't discuss internal matters. this isn't a broad industry view on working from home. this is about what's right for yahoo! right now. okay. i'm going to take you back to chuck hagel. they figured out his microphone was not on. he's addressing his new employees at the pentagon. let's listen. >> we've got the joint chief of staff here. he makes me nervous. the sergeant of the army scares the hell out of me, so i think he does the general, too, actually.

and all of you who are so important to our country, thank you. i a couple of hours ago took the oath of office to become the 24th secretary of defense. it's great honor. it's a privilege. yes. for me, my family, but to be part of your team who you are is the honor. that's the great privilege. you're not joining my team. i'm joining your team. and i want you to know how proud i am of the opportunity the president of the united states has given me and the congress of the united states has given me, and i would tell you that as i had told the president, as i told the congress, that i will do everything in my power to be the kind of leader that you expect and you deserve.

also the kind of leader the country expects and deserves. we are living in a very defining time in the world. you all know that. it's a difficult time. it's a time of tremendous challenge. but there are opportunities. and think it's important that we stay focused obviously on our jobs, on our responsibilities which are immense, but not lose sight of the possibilities for a better world. if there's one thing america has stood for more than any one thing is that we are a force for good. we make mistakes. we've made mistakes. we will continue to make mistakes. but we're the force for good. >> we're going to jump out of this. the new defense secretary of the united states of america. he's addressing the employees of the pentagon. he's war veteran and has won two

purple hearts so he has a special bond with those sitting in the audience today. another look at our talkback question this morning. should the republicans embrace chris christie. your response and our discussion coming up. here we go. ♪ cha-cha-cha ♪ don't you know that i love ya ♪ ♪ cha-cha-cha-cha-cha ♪ always thinking of ya ♪ all around the world ♪ everybody singin' along ♪ singin' along ♪ fly me to the moon ♪ let me play among the stars ♪ let me see what spring -- ♪ [ birds chirping ] [ male announcer ] with the best lineup of vehicles ever, introducing the new chevrolet. ♪ oh, heavenly day

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preliminary reports confirm no poul play was involved. the province where it happened has banned all hot air balloon flights until further notice. a sinking boat off monterey, california, might have been a hoax. the coast guard called off the search for the people who claimed to have been onboard. it's already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. get ready for a mission to mars. later today paragon space development will announce of sending a man and a woman on a fly-by. it could happen as early as 2018. they tell cnn that trip could take 501 days and will cost around $1 billion and it's not asking nasa for any money. it's a private venture. and big changes for the magazine "variety." they will end their daily edition next month and produce only a weekly edition. they will allow viewers to access its online content free instead of paying for a subscription.

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time now to talk back. joining me today, cnn political analyst roland measure. senior contributor john avlon and ron christy, former assistant to president george w. bush. welcome to all of you. >> hey. >> hairks all of you. i was making sure everyone was awake.

the question this morning, should the gop -- should republicans embrace chris christie? i'm going set this up this way. cpac, the conservative politicala conference that's an influential political group. it's inviting sarah palin, mitt romney, jeb bush and a host of others but not chris christie who just a few years ago was a conservative god. what happened? >> they're inviting people actually elected. if you want to understand where your presidents are likely going to come from, it's likely going to come from governors, the people who have actually been running states. it's nonsensical that you want sarah palin who loss, mitt romney, who lost. i would think you would be trying to get christie and mcdonald and you get walker or you even get, you know, the governor of florida, rick scott as well. so i don't get why you ignore

governors. that's where your bench is, your power. >> especially chris christie because his approval rating is through the roof and not only with republicans but democrats too. and that's an unusual kind of political animal these days, john. >> it is. and that's exactly why the republican party should be running toward him. he's got the highest approval rating in new jersey, 74%. in a state where barack obama won by 17 points and republicans only make up one fifth of the electora electorate. if they've got one out there, who has 568% support from nonwhites like chris christie does, that has independence overwhelmingly, you've got to figure out what he's doing right and replicate that on a national stage. if cpac wants to nominate sarah palin, they can knock themselves out. >> what is it that's so turned

off conservatives? was it this supposed -- he embraced president obama after superstorm sandy hit because he thought president obama was helpful to his state of new jersey. was it that that drove conservatives away? >> i think it's part of that. and i have to say as a caveat as i start here, even though i was born here in new jersey, carol, i have no relationship with chris christie. let me put that out there. >> you're not his other brother? >> no, not his other brother from another mother, no. in all honesty, i think the republicans are saying governor christie embraced president obama during the election campaign at a time when it was critical for mitt romney and they in part blame him for the loss. i would say to my two friends here, look, this is not the gop convention. this is the conservative convention. i would agree with john. far guy who has well above 70% of approval rating in a very blue state, he has to be doing

something right having everyone supporting him. so i think they should embrace him. >> we should point out, the primary is controlled by conservative so you need a conservative embrace to win a republican primary, right? >> right. >> my next question is cpac is inviting sarah palin? she's not even on fox news anymore, roland. >> first of all, remember. if you're at a conference, what you're trying to do is you're trying to draw big names to be able to get your people excited. and i totally get that. but here's the other piece, carol. this is an off year. it's 2013. it's not like the campaign is going to start going up big team in terms of really getting going. and so that's what it's all about. clearly they want to penalize governor chris christie. i get it. if you're christy you're saying fine. in fact, if i'm christy i probably would set up a major speech at the exact same time somewhere and likely draw all the media coverage and say,

look, let me show you guys how this whole thing is done. so christie is saying have your party, that's a great. what he should do is send doughnuts over to crpac to say, hey, good luck with your conference this morning. >> i would actually enjoy that. one more question. cpac is inviting mitt romney and he's so over. >> well, look. i think there's a little bit of nostalgia for governor romney right now. >> really? >> yeah, i think there is. >> nostalgia? >> yeah. otherwise, why would they have invited him. let's not also forget, carol. this is all about money. it might be a convention but it's about money and people buying tickets and spending hotel money and they think mitt romney can be a draw. so there's nostalgia. >> so the nostalgia is for money, not mitt romney, ron? >> oh, ron.

>> remember, carol, you know, someone once said every political move becomes a business and then a racket. i think we're at a racket stage to some department. the republican party has been busy burning down the big ten. they're not only excluding chris christie, they're excluding two prominent gay republicans as well. they don't want to be associated with that. that's dangerous game to play. that's clearly not what's on their mind. >> all right. thanks for playing today. appreciate it. >> thanks, carol. >> yep. >> always. >> i want to pass on to you what our viewers think of this question. should the gop embrace chris christie. this from vern. he's the only one with common sense. i'm not from new jersey but i would vote for him for anything. >> this from ivory. he's clearly a leader and is in charge of his character and his choices. they can't manage him. he will not fit in.

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